Photos: Queen's Cat Goddess Temple Found in Egypt

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Photos: Queen's Cat Goddess Temple Found in Egypt

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Egyptian Limestone Cat Statue

January 21, 2010—This limestone feline is among some 600 cat statues from a newfound temple dedicated to the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet. The ancient temple was recently discovered under the streets of modern-day Alexandria, Egypt.

Egyptian archaeologists who found the temple say it was built by Queen Berenike II, wife of Greek King Ptolemy III, who ruled Egypt from 246 to 221 B.C.

"This is one of the most important discoveries in Alexandria in the last hundred years," said Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, head of antiquities of Lower Egypt for the Supreme Council of Antiquities and lead archaeologist for the find.

—Andrew Bossone in Cairo

Photograph courtesy Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities

Harpocrates Bust

In addition to stone and terra cotta cats, the newfound Bastet temple housed this bust of Harpocrates, the Greek god of silence. Harpocrates was the Greek adaptation of the Egyptian god known as Horus the child.

The Greeks ruled Egypt following the arrival in 332 B.C. of Alexander the Great, who founded the city of Alexandria. Artifacts from the temple date back to various times during the Greek-run Ptolemaic dynasty, which lasted until 30 B.C.

Photograph courtesy Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities

Egyptian Cat Statue

This cat statue is among the hundreds from Queen Berenike's Bastet temple, the first known temple dedicated to the feline goddess found in Alexandria.

The ancient Egyptians who made the newfound temple's numerous statues "wanted to represent Bastet in different positions," archaeologist Abdel Maqsoud said. For instance, in addition to being the cat goddess, "this also is the god of joy that will make you happy."

Photograph courtesy Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities

Ptolemaic Child Statue

Queen Berenike's Bastet temple included many statues of children, because Bastet was also the goddess of motherhood.

Ironically, Queen Berenike II was murdered by her son King Ptolemy IV not long after her husband had died.

"Berenike II wanted to put another son as the king, and Ptolemy IV killed her with poison because of this," Abdel Maqsoud said.

In addition to the findings from the Ptolemaic period, the temple ruins include a Roman water cistern made up of several 46-foot-deep (14-meter-deep) wells, stone water channels, and the remains of a bath area.